General Mane surrenders to loyalist forces

Former military strongman General Ansumane Mane surrendered on Friday to forces loyal to Guinea-Bissau’s government, according to radio reports and sources in Bissau.

Portuguese radio reported the head of Guinea-Bissau’s air force, António Milcíades, as saying that Mane had been localised and was in the hands of government troops. This was also reported on national radio, humanitarian sources in Bissau told IRIN.

The sources said Mane had been found in Quinhamel, some 40 km outside of Bissau. The government of Guinea-Bissau announced that it intended to hand him over to the UN mission in Bissau and that it wanted him “repatriated” to The Gambia.

Mane was born in The Gambia. His father was Gambian and his mother was from Guinea-Bissau. He fought in Guinea-Bissau’s liberation war against Portugal and became chief of staff of the armed forces in 1986, under the presidency of Joao Bernardo Vieira.

However, he launched a mutiny against Vieira in June 1998, overthrew him in May 1999, and was co-president of a transitional government that ran the country between May 1999 and January 2000, when President Kumba Yala was elected.

Mane sparked a crisis on Monday when he revoked promotions made by Yala, announced the dismissal of armed forces chief of staff Verissimo Correia Seabra, and proclaimed himself head of the armed forces.

Loyalist forces regained control of Bissau after clashes with Mane supporters on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thousands of residents fled the capital this week. The humanitarian source said he saw many people with bundles on their heads walking along the road just outside his home that leads out of Bissau. They started trickling back on Thursday, he said.